Gail Gilman, Family Life Consultant, M.Ed., C.F.C.S. and Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota
The summer storm season is upon. Unfortunately, with rough weather sometimes comes emergencies and damage to property. Emergency situations can bring out the best and worst in people. Following is advice to deal with the latter as well as some important tips about dealing with your utilities in an emergency.
First of all, be very, very aware and cautious of all the schemers and scammers that come out of the woodwork in times of harsh weather. From regular contractors who get greedy and start price gouging to the out-and-out con artists who will take your money and provide nothing in return, homeowners need to be very vigilant. Hiring the wrong person can result in additional damage to your property and, worse yet, a significant, even devastating hit on your finances.
Whether you have been unfortunate enough to be in the path of rough weather or not, here are some tips to pay attention to:
- Never hire someone who comes to your door unsolicited. During times of harsh weather, legitimate contractors are far too busy to bother with door-to-door solicitations, and your chances having a scammer on your front porch jump up considerably.
- Do not ever feel pressured into signing a contract or hiring a person to do work, even emergency work.
- Do not be swayed by enticements of “a sizable discount if you sign up right now,” or threats like “if you don’t get on my list right now, you won’t get another contractor out here for months!”
- Never pay for services up front! Never, never, never! No legitimate contractor should ever ask for more than a reasonable deposit – ideally 10%, but in a genuine emergency you may need to pay up to 25%.
- Get all the pertinent details of your agreement in writing. Even if it is just a temporary roof patch, get something in writing with the name and license number of the contractor, along with the amount you are being charged for the job or the contractor’s hourly rate.
Certainly, there are pressures in an emergency situation, but never hire a person or a company unless you take a moment to assure yourself that they are properly licensed and bonded. You can verify the information with a phone call or a quick check online, and failure to do so could leave you in a dangerous position in terms of liability.
In any kind of emergency, large or small, caused by Mother Nature or caused by you forgetting to shut off the stove, one of the single most important things you need to know is how to shut off any affected utilities. It is crucially important that you know where all of your utility shutoffs are, and how to operate them.
You need to take the time to:
- Locate each shutoff.
- Make sure that the area around the shutoff is clear of debris, stored items, overgrown landscaping, or anything else that could interfere with quick and safe access.
- Make sure you completely understand how to shut each one off.
If you would like more information on “During Emergencies Beware of Scammers” contact Gail Gilman, Family Life Consultant, M.Ed., C.F.C.S. and Emeritus University of Minnesota at waldn001@umn.edu. Be sure to watch for more Family Living Focus™ information in next week’s paper.
